verb
scorn
skawn
verb
1
To feel or show strong contempt for someone or something.
"He scorned the offer, calling it an insult."
"Critics scorned the film as lazy and derivative."
noun
1
A feeling or display of contempt.
"She looked at the proposal with obvious scorn."
How to Use Scorn
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA strong, often visible form of contempt — more intense than mere disapproval.
Common pairings
pour scorn on
treat with scorn
scorn an offer
Word Forms
scorned past tense, scorns plural, scorns singular
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Etymology
From Old French escharnir, ultimately traced to a Germanic root connected to mockery or ridicule; possibly related to a separate root meaning "to shear" or "cut."